Life in Twenty-Four Parts
by Artemis J. Halk
Summary: AU; No Death. Just an awkward pie-maker and the broken woman who loves him in twenty-four parts.


AU; No Death. Just an awkward pie-maker and the broken woman who loves him in twenty-four parts.

This has not been proofread, so I'd appreciate it if people could point out any grammatical errors. Thank you.

* * *

Part One: Introduction

It was easy for Ned to lose track of the people who came into The Pie Hole during the ever-busy lunch hour. But, for some reason, her face stood out among the crowd. This probably had something to do with the fact that she came in nearly every afternoon, stayed for the exact amount of time it took her to finish a slice of pie and a cup of coffee, and then she would leave.

Ned had no idea why he remembered her; after all, he had a lot of regular customers, especially during the lunch hour. But, he just did, and didn't bother to question it.

But, it was during an unusually slow afternoon that he actually had the chance to talk to her. "Hi, can I get a slice of your daily special?" she asked, motioning with her finger towards the sign that said that the special was apple.

"Sure thing. And a cup of coffee, right?" Ned asked as he went to get her the pie. She nodded, and Ned poured her a cup. "You come in here a lot."

"It's the only time that I can get away," she explained as she dug into her slice of pie. "I don't want to spend that time eating mediocre food."

"Well, I'm just glad that you find my pies not mediocre. I'm Ned."

"Chuck."

"Chuck?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Charlotte. But my friends call me Chuck."

"Chuck."

* * *

Part Two: Friendship

Over the next several months, Chuck continued to come into The Pie Hole every day. Ned didn't always have time to have a conversation with her, but he always made an effort to at least say hello to her.

She always seemed to brighten up his day with her sunny smile, even from across the restaurant.

Ned wasn't quite sure what to call their relationship. While he would sometimes talk with some of his regulars, he didn't exactly seek them out for long conversations during lulls. That was more Olive's thing, anyway.

He enjoyed talking with her, and she would sometimes linger over a second cup of coffee as an excuse to stay a little bit longer.

"Geeze, is it that late already?" Chuck said as she glanced at the clock in the kitchen. "My boss is going to kill me!" She drained the rest of her coffee and quickly left the restaurant.

"You two sure seem close," Olive observed once Chuck was gone.

"Yeah," Ned said. "She's my friend."

* * *

Part Three: Touch, Part One

The day started much as any other day. Ned got up and baked some pies, Olive came in some time later, and they sold pie like they always did.

Chuck came in at one, like she had been doing recently. They both found that it was easier to sit and talk after the lunch rush had left. Ned had a slice of pie in front of her before she had even settled into her seat, and poured her a cup of coffee.

Chuck started to tell Ned about some awful client at the firm where she worked. It was just like any other day.

When Chuck had finished with her pie, Ned moved to take the plate away, but he moved at the same time that Chuck adjusted the fork on the plate.

Their fingers touched.

Just a simple, little touch.

But, it seemed to light both of them on fire, and they were both very aware of their touching hands in that one moment.

They both pulled away at the same time. Ned turned around to take the plate into the kitchen, but when he came back out, Chuck was finishing up her coffee to go back to work.

"See you tomorrow," she whispered.

* * *

Part Four: Boyfriend

The next afternoon after their accidental touch, Chuck told Ned about her boyfriend.

They'd been together for a while, but, the way that Chuck talked about him lead Ned to believe that there was something that was lacking in their relationship.

Ned had gotten to know Chuck's facial expressions, and her eyes always lit up brightly whenever she talked about something that she was completely passionate about.

Chuck talked about her boyfriend the way that she talked about the weather: flat and devoid of interest.

Ned wondered why she was still with him if she really felt that way.

He wondered why she was telling him this after all this time.

* * *

Part Five: Touch, Part Two

The second time that their fingers touched was just as accidental as the first time.

It happened a few weeks after Chuck told Ned about her boyfriend.

Chuck had put out the money to pay for her pie and coffee, and Ned went to accept it from her. Their hands touched, and it was only slightly more contact than the first time.

Neither of them pulled away right away.

Ned looked to Chuck, and found her looking at him intently.

She was giving him an intense stare, and he found himself lost in her hazel eyes. He really wanted to kiss her.

Chuck looked away first and pulled her hand away. She whispered some apology and quickly left The Pie Hole.

Ned could only hope that she came back.

* * *

Part Six: Time, Part One

One month.

It was only four weeks or thirty days or 720 hours and a few odd minutes and seconds.

Not like Ned was counting.

That was how long that Chuck was gone.

It was only a month.

He hadn't known her for that long, so why did her absence weigh so heavily on him like this?

* * *

Part Seven: Bruises

Chuck finally came back to The Pie Hole after her month-long absence.

She offered no reason why she'd been gone, and Ned didn't ask.

He saw a yellowing bruise on the inside of her wrist, and spotted one on her chest, just visible under the collar of her blouse. Ned didn't ask about those, either.

She was an adult, and she had a boyfriend. They'd only struck up a conversation because she loved his pies. That didn't mean anything. Just some friendly conversation between lulls in the restaurant.

Chuck sat in a booth— a first for her since she'd started coming to The Pie Hole. She didn't look up and barely said hello to him when he gave her her slice of pie and cup of coffee.

* * *

Part Eight: Distance

Ned vowed to keep his distance from Chuck. It was clear that she was trying to do the same, and Ned wanted to respect her wishes.

He asked Olive to wait on Chuck whenever she came into the restaurant.

Chuck continued to sit in a booth.

She started to come during the lunch-hour again.

* * *

Part Nine: Rain

It was late, and the rain was obviously discouraging any more late-night pie customers. Ned had already sent Olive home for the day, and was just wiping down the tables before he closed up the shop and returned to his own apartment above his restaurant.

The bell above the door jingled as it opened.

"Sorry, we're closed," Ned said, his back to the door as he tried to remove a stubborn coffee stain from a table.

"Sorry," said the soft voice that had invaded Ned's every waking hour. He stood and turned to look at Chuck. She was wet from the rain, and was making a mess in the entrance of the restaurant.

Not like Ned noticed that.

It was the big bruise on her cheek that Ned couldn't take his eyes off of.

He was at her side before he knew it. "What happened?" he whispered.

"He hit me."

* * *

Part Ten: Guest

Ned offered her the bed.

Chuck refused, saying that a baker of not-mediocre pies needed to get his rest.

He gave her a pair of old sweatpants and an old t-shirt. They were too large on her, but he didn't exactly have anything else to offer her.

She sat awkwardly on his sofa, her fingers clenched in the fabric of the sweatpants, and didn't say anything. She didn't look like she was going to cry. She just sat with a blank look on her face.

Ned didn't know what to say to her. He didn't ask for details.

Chuck didn't give him any.

* * *

Part Eleven: Time, Part Two

One week.

That's how long that Chuck was away after she spent the night at Ned's.

One week or seven days or 168 hours and a few odd minutes and seconds.

Not like Ned was obsessively checking the clock and looking towards the door every few seconds.

He was worried about her.

* * *

Part Twelve: Hurt

It was almost a repeat of the first time that Chuck had come into The Pie Hole with a bruise on her cheek.

It was raining, and Ned had already sent Olive home for the night. But this time, Chuck was in worse shape. Her eye was already swollen shut, her lip was split, there were darkening bruises that looked oddly like fingers around her neck.

And blood.

Her blouse was splattered with blood. Ned didn't want to know if it was hers, because it hurt to even see her like this.

Ned also didn't need to ask, because he knew what had happened. "We have to get you to the hospital," Ned whispered as he locked up the doors.

Chuck pulled on the sleeve of his jacket as he passed, and he paused. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed the uninjured side of her face into his chest. She was violently trembling, but Ned didn't know if it was from fright or because she was wet and cold.

He just held her until she pulled away. He didn't care that he was getting both wet and cold. She needed him right now, and that was the only thing that mattered.

"Hospital," she whispered.

* * *

Part Thirteen: Hospital

Ned didn't want to be in the hospital room with Chuck while some nurses took pictures and cataloged every injury on her body. Every time she removed a piece of clothing, more and more injuries, both new and old, became apparent.

It made Ned angry to see somebody like Chuck hurt like this. Even when Chuck sat on the examination table wearing only a bra and panties, and held Ned's hand, it wasn't a sexual moment at all. She was hurt, and tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

Ned didn't want to be in the hospital room, because looking upon Chuck's battered body made him want to find whoever had done this to her and hurt that guy as much as he had hurt Chuck.

But, the gentle weight of her hand in his, and the tears that fell from her eyes made him stay.

* * *

Part Fourteen: Comfort

They were silent as Ned drove them back to his apartment. They were silent as they walked up the steps around the back of the restaurant. They were silent as Ned unlocked the door to his apartment and flicked the lights on.

As soon as Ned had closed the door, Chuck was in his arms again. She wasn't shaking this time, but she also didn't let go of him. Ned pulled away from her, but didn't let go of her hands. He turned the light off in the living room, and lead her through the dark to his bedroom. They lay together on his bed, the only light from the street lamp outside and every now and again, the lights of some passing car would light up his bedroom.

Ned knew that he should get up and go close the curtains. But Chuck was pressed up against him, and she was shaking again. He didn't want to leave her side for a moment.

* * *

Part Fifteen: Awake

Ned usually awoke in tiny increments. But today, he realized that somebody was in bed with him, and he was instantly awake.

And staring into Chuck's eyes.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he replied. He reached up and gently brushed the lose hair away from her swollen eye. It looked even worse now. "Did you sleep?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I haven't slept that well in a long time."

"I'm glad."

Ned tried to smile, but he couldn't. Chuck lay down with her head on Ned's chest. He held her again.

* * *

Part Sixteen: Day

They must have fallen back asleep, because the next thing Ned knew, his phone was ringing. It was Olive. Where was he? It was like 8 AM now, and no pies had been made.

"Sorry, I'm taking the day off," Ned told her. "You should, too."

"What? Why?" Olive asked.

"Something came up."

"You didn't have to do that, Ned," Chuck said when he'd hung up.

"No," Ned insisted. "Let's do something today."

"I don't know…"

"Whatever you want to do."

"Anything?" Chuck asked with a playful smirk.

* * *

Part Seventeen: Roommate

It's not like they came to any sort of formal living arrangement. After that night, Chuck just started to stay at Ned's apartment.

Ned didn't mind the fact that the shower and bathroom sink were now cluttered with a lot of products, or that his closet was filled with an odd assortment of pastel dresses, blouses, and skirts. After all, having less room to himself in his apartment was a small price to pay for Chuck's continued safety and general happiness.

And, in a weird way, it was nice to have some reason to go home at night; it was nice to go home to somebody.

They would stay up and tell each other about their respective days, and they would talk for hours about nothing. It was nice.

* * *

Part Eighteen: Stolen

It was almost too good to last. Ned knew this, and was almost anticipating when something would come in and shatter the perfectly little world that he and Chuck had worked so hard to build.

Ned and Chuck were laughing over a couple slices of day-old pie a few minutes before closing time. Somebody opened the door, and they both looked up to see who had come in.

"You!" the man growled.

"No, please! This isn't what it looks like!" Chuck pleaded with the man.

"You leave me and the life that we've worked for years to build for this?" the man yelled at her. Chuck flinched away from him, and Ned came out from behind the counter to stand between Chuck and the man. "This man is completely beneath you! What is wrong with you, Charlie? Are you suddenly so tired of me that you'd whore yourself out to the first man who came along?"

"Please, I-" Chuck started, but the man pulled a gun out from the waistband of his pants. "Don't do anything rash. I'll come with you so long as you don't hurt him."

"Chuck, no," Ned protested. Chuck walked silently over to the man, who roughly gripped her arm. She flinched, and Ned knew that she had other bruises in the same spot that were only just now starting to heal.

"Come on, you worthless whore," the man said as he yanked Chuck out of The Pie Hole. Chuck looked up at Ned before the door closed behind them, her eyes pleading with Ned to help her.

* * *

Part Nineteen: Uncertain

Ned didn't know what to do. He first called Olive, who rushed over and told him that he needed to call the police.

After talking with the police for several minutes, Ned was finally able to get a hold of the detectives who had spoken with Chuck about what had happened to her. He explained what had happened to them, and they told him to sit tight and to not do anything rash.

That had been two months ago.

Eight weeks or 59 days or 1,416 hours and a few odd minutes and seconds.

And Ned felt every single second that they were apart.

He didn't know if Chuck was safe or if she was even alive.

Never before in his life had he ever felt so uncertain.

* * *

Part Twenty: Call

"Ned?"

"Yes, that's me."

"This is Mercy Hospital; Charlotte Charles is here, and she's asking for you."

* * *

Part Twenty-One: Relief

"Chuck."

"Ned."

She was in even worse shape than the night that they'd gone to the hospital.

Ned sat down in the chair by her bed and fought back the tears that had been threatening to spill for over two months now.

"No. Don't you dare cry," Chuck scolded him. "Because if you cry, then I'm going to cry, too."

She was in a lot of pain and was on a lot of morphine. But Chuck sat with her and held her hand. He was just glad that she was alive.

* * *

Part Twenty-Two: Next

"So, what happens next?" Ned asked wearily the next morning when Chuck was a little more alert. "The police didn't say much when I first came in."

"He was arrested two days ago for shoplifting, of all the stupid things," Chuck told him. "When they figured out who he was, they came to his house. He'd had me tied up in the basement since he brought me back, and told me that it was for my own good."

"We don't have to talk about this now," Ned whispered after a moment.

"The police are going forward with the charges, now that they have substantial evidence against him," Chuck went on, her voice low and her eyes moist. "They said that I likely wouldn't even have to testify against him, either."

"We can just focus on what's next for you."

"For us," Chuck whispered as she gently squeezed his hand.

* * *

Part Twenty-Three: Touch, Part Three

After a few days, Chuck was released to the hospital. "The only place that I want to be right now is our apartment," she whispered. Ned wasn't quite sure when it had gone from his apartment to their apartment, but he was happy enough.

Their hands brushed as they walked up the stairs. Even though Ned had spent most of his free time at Chuck's bedside holding her hand, these slight touches were different somehow. Electrified.

Ned opened the door, and as soon as he'd closed it behind them, Chuck was in his arms. This was different, too. Like the slight touches in the stairwell, Chuck's skin seemed to be made out of pure electricity.

She looked up at him and their lips met. It was a surge of power that traveled throughout Ned's entire body.

And, when he pulled back and looked at Chuck, he knew that she felt it, too.

* * *

Part Twenty-Four: Love

It was almost a routine for them, now. To wake up a little bit earlier than the time when Ned had to be downstairs to start the pies for the day, and they would just lounge in bed, and act like they had no worries at all.

"I love you," Chuck said rather suddenly one such morning. Ned looked at her, and he just smiled. They'd been together for over a year now, but who was counting? She was the first to say it.

"I love you, too."


End file.
